Which country has worst air quality?

Which country has the baddest air quality?

Man, 2023 was brutal. I was in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in July. The air? Thick, like pea soup. Seriously, you couldn't see across the street sometimes. My eyes burned constantly. I coughed my lungs out. Felt like I was breathing gravel. Awful.

That list from UChicago? Sounds right. Bangladesh was choking. I saw it firsthand. Bangladesh had the worst air quality. Absolutely horrific. Made me appreciate clean air more than anything. India was bad too, I heard from people I met, but Dhaka... Dhaka was a different level.

The heat and humidity, combined with that pollution… ugh. I remember one afternoon, walking to the restaurant. Could barely breathe. My throat was so dry. Even indoors, it was hazy. I spent a fortune on masks, water and throat lozenges. No joke. Totally draining.

Things I noticed:

• The constant coughing from everyone
• The perpetually hazy sky
• The burning sensation in my eyes and throat
• The smell – a strange mix of exhaust fumes, dust and something else I couldn't place.

I was only there for two weeks. Two weeks of that, though. Never again. I'd avoid the whole region in general during peak pollution season. Maybe October, November? Still, it's not safe. Avoid Bangladesh if you have respiratory problems. Seriously.

Which country has the baddest air quality?

Okay, so the country with air you can practically chew? In 2022, Bangladesh took the "prize," hitting a whopping 54.17 μg/m3 of PM2.5. Yikes!

Think of it like this: Bangladesh's air in 2022 was so thick, you could spread it on toast. India followed closely with 41.39.

Nepal, and Qatar rounded out the top four... whew, air high five for not being there! It is what it is.

• Bangladesh: Lead, 54.17 μg/m3
• India: Close Second, 41.39 μg/m3
• Nepal: Third Place, 39.18 μg/m3
• Qatar: Fourth, 39.16 μg/m3

The WHO guideline, FYI, is a measly 5! Talk about a slight difference. Just a tad, really. I like tads.

Fun fact: My Aunt Mildred once tried to "cleanse" her lungs with industrial-strength air freshener. Didn't go well. Don't do that!